BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 3129
79R13300 JRJ-F By: Hamilton (Lindsay)
Transportation & Homeland Security
AUTHOR'S/SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Motor vehicle crashes involving young drivers continue to cause a disproportionate number of deaths and injuries, with the highest crash rate per mile driven belonging to the holders of provisional driver licenses. In an effort to determine whether or not a monitoring system commonly and successfully used by commercial fleet vehicles would bring about a significant reduction in crash rates of provisional driver license holders.
H.B. 3129 authorizes the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to join with a national 501 (c)(e) public charity to conduct a two-year pilot program of such a monitoring system involving voluntary participation by provisional driver license holders and their parents.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Subchapter B, Chapter 521, Transportation Code, by adding Section 521.032, as follows:
Sec. 521.032. PROVISIONAL LICENSE HOLDER DRIVER SAFETY PILOT PROGRAM. (a) Defines "program partner."
(b) Requires the Texas Department of Transportation (department) to create a driver safety pilot program for provisional license holders in conjunction with a program partner to determine whether a monitoring system will reduce the number of accidents involving provisional license holders. Requires the pilot program to accomplish certain objectives.
(c) Authorizes the department to solicit, accept, and administer gifts and grants from any public or private source for the use and benefit of the program. Requires the department to apply for grants from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration under 23 U.S.C. Sections 403 and 407. Requires the program partner to prepare the application for any grants for the pilot program at the expense of the program partner. Requires money received by the department or the program partner under this section and Section 521.421(i) (License Fees; Examination Fees) to be deposited to the credit of the state highway fund and used by the department to benefit the pilot program.
(d) Requires the department to appoint a project manager to coordinate the pilot program and to facilitate the collection and analysis of accident data.
(e) Authorizes the legislature to appropriate money to the department for support of the program in addition to any amounts allocated by the General Appropriations Act.
(f) Provides that this section expires September 1, 2007.
SECTION 2. Amends Section 521.421, Transportation Code, by adding Subsection (i), as follows:
(i) Requires the department to collect an additional fee of $1 for the issuance or renewal of a license under Subsection (a), (b), or (c) to fund the Provisional License Holder Driver Safety Pilot Program established under Section 521.032, unless the person applying for or renewing a license chooses not to pay the additional fee. This subsection expires September 1, 2007.
SECTION 3. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2005.